Afterwards
This novel is a work of alternate-history. While the events leading up to the time around 50AD are factual, they only provide a starting point from which the novel unfolds. That crucial point on which history deviates, in this case, is the invention of the steam engine.
Before we get to the deviations, let’s start with what’s true. Heron of Alexandria was a real person and invented nearly all of the items depicted in the novel. However, the nature of Heron’s gender is truly unknown, though generally assumed male in the history books. I preferred the female Heron because she would, by the strength of her gender, be an insurgent in the culture of her time and thus more likely to enact change.
As depicted, Heron was one of the greatest inventors of Alexandria. He (and in this case, speaking historically, we’ll use the male version, though I prefer the female since I know her better) invented the aeolipile, the oracle machines, wind turbines, clockwork plays, automata, war machines, the fire door opening device, and many other inventions passed off as miracles in the temples.
It is that last point that explains why these inventions stayed hidden in the annals of history and didn’t transform the ancient world. That point and the prevailing labor force of those times, slaves, made the spread of technology difficult. The temples purchased the miracles from Heron and other inventors, but slavery ensured they would have no other place to sell them. As labor saving and innovative as their inventions were, they were no match for free labor. Besides, inventions didn’t provide the status that slaves could.
Lysimachus the Alabarch was another true figure of history. A cousin to Herod the Great, you know, the one from the Bible. As the customs man, he did not engender himself to much love from the people or historians. I haven’t helped him much either.
The story of Caesar’s involvement with Alexandria is true, though many might already know this because of Cleopatra. It’s still one of the most famous love stories of all time.
And while he did start a fire in the Alexandrian fleet and it did probably burn some books, since they were housed on the docks while being copied, it is unknown if Caesar’s fire was the one that burned the Great Library. History doesn’t do a good job of nailing down this point, as they cast the net of blame wide and over a period of nearly five centuries. So you can see, there is much room for a fictional interpretation of the facts.
The power and importance of Alexandria is beyond true. It truly was the City of Wonders, housing two of the world’s ancient wonders—the Great Library and the Lighthouse of Pharos. It was a cultural melting pot and the greatest source of knowledge collection in the history of man, until recent times.
The foundations for our scientific civilization were rooted in the city of Alexandria, lost in the fires and then reborn during the Renaissance. For example, it may seem unbelievable, but Copernicus was not the first person to determine that the Earth went around the Sun and not the other way around. That honor went to Aristarchus of Samos, a citizen of Alexandria in the year 300BC. In fact, some historians theorize that Copernicus discovered Aristarchus’ writings and passed them off as his own, after making the appropriate observations. Other famous inventors have been accused of doing the same after finding lost scrolls from the Great Library.
The width and breadth of the discoveries and inventions of Alexandria are staggering. It is truly a wonder that the city did not kick off an Industrial Revolution two thousand years ago.
Which goes back to the original idea that got me started thinking about this novel. What if the steam engine had been invented in 54AD? What if Heron had taken his aeolipile one step further, combining it with his fire engine pump, to create a steam engine?
Well that would be pretty interesting, wouldn’t it? I think you would agree.
Also by Thomas K. Carpenter
THE DIGITAL SEA TRILOGY
The Digital Sea
The Godhead Machine
Neochrome Aurora
GAMERS TRILOGY
GAMERS
FRAGS
CODERS
ALEXANDRIAN SAGA
Fires of Alexandria
Heirs of Alexandria
Legacy of Alexandria
Warmachines of Alexandria
Empire of Alexandria (2014)
HERON OF ALEXANDRIA SHORT STORIES
The Price of Numbers
The Weight of Gold
The Blood of the Gods
The Virtues of Madness (2013)
The Curse of the Gorgon (2013)
MIRROR SHARDS ANTHOLOGY
Mirror Shards: Volume One
Mirror Shards: Volume Two
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas K. Carpenter resides near St. Louis with his wife Rachel and their two children. When he’s not busy writing his next book, he’s playing soccer in the yard with his kids or getting beat by his wife at cards. He keeps a regular blog at https://www.thomaskcarpenter.com and can be found on twitter under @thomaskcarpente
Other works by this author can be found at:
Black Moon Books Publishing - https://www.blackmoonbooks.com
To learn about new releases from Thomas K. Carpenter, like his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thomaskcarpenter
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